2026, Vol. 14, Issue 1, Part A

Indigenous medicinal plants in India are widely recognized for their therapeutic value in treating human and livestock ailments, largely due to their diverse phytochemical constituents. These bioactive compounds serve as important lead molecules for drug development. In the present study, phytochemical profiling of Gymnosporia rothiana (Marathi name: Lokhandi) leaf extracts and their associated fungal endophytes was conducted. Leaf extracts prepared using four different organic solvents, along with ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts of endophytic fungi, were subjected to qualitative screening for alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, phenols, and related secondary metabolites. The G. rothiana leaf extracts exhibited the presence of terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, flavonoids, and other bioactive compounds. A total of nine endophytic fungi Eurotium cristatum, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus niger, Colletotrichum viniferum, Curvularia lunata, Hypoxylon fragiforme, Fusarium solani, and Scopulariopsis sp. were successfully isolated and identified from the leaves. Most isolates exhibited secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, glycosides, and flavonoids. These findings highlight G. rothiana and its fungal endophytes as promising sources of bioactive compounds with potential applications in future drug development.